A/N: I try not to apologize for my work (bad form, you know) but I don't think this next chapters is my best work. It gets better after this, though. I'll try to post the next chapters soon, but I've been incredably busy lately.


The dream had returned to Tylendel on and off for the past week, nearly driving him mad with fear and desire. In Frelennye his father was always upset when he became too close to Staven, and often commented distastefully on same-sex pairings they saw while riding. Was this what he had become? A sin against nature itself? But he could not help himself. He watched the older student- Nevis, he had learned his name was- with a lustful passion, barely contained. But he knew he was doomed. Nevis had flocks of girls hoarding around him, and showed no sign of the plague Tylendel was afflicted with. So why- if not only to torment him -would Nevis glance over and give Tylendel a heart-wrenching smile? His heart burned.

Tylendel was walking to his room from history when Nevis approached him.
"I wished to compliment you on your observation in class, Tylendel," he said in greeting, "no one else saw the feud with Karse with such… insight as you did." He stretched out the words silkily, and Tylendel felt crimson flooding his cheeks in response to the unexpected compliment.
"There's no need to blush, Tylendel, when you deserve the compliment." He continued, "unless there's something else that is causing you to…" he finished by running a lazy finger jaggedly up his spine. Tylendel shivered in pleasure.
'No!' His thoughts screamed at him, 'You're giving away your secret!' But his reasonable side answered back, 'He already knows.'
A smile crossed Nevis' face seeing Tylendel's reaction to what was his least subtle flirtation. His eyes closed half-lidded, and he turned to face Tylendel's conflicted face, and leaned close to him, pulling his mouth into a fiery embrace.
"'Til next time, lover." He said simply, and walked away.

Tylendel stared dumbly at Nevis' receding form before stumbling the rest of the way to the common room. Mardic and Donni were laying contentedly in each others arms, supposedly studying a text. He glanced at them briefly, as the stupor began to recede, and a flush replacing it. Has Nevis meant what he said? His stomach ached at him, and he went to the liquor cabinet to settle it. The couple paid him no heed, as they had learned to do.
Lying back in his bed he contemplated his situation, turning over the same thoughts and receiving not solutions, before realizing he needed help.
: Gala?: he mind-called tentatively.
: Yes, Chosen?: she responded. Her patient words reassured him, and in a rush, his feelings and the events with Nevis came spilling out. He lay on his bed sobbing while explaining all that had happened.
: It's alright.: she comforted when he was done, exhausted and mentally shaken from the bottled up emotions that were hidden for so long.
: What can I do, Gala?: he asked, the tremble fading from his mind-voice.
: Let him take the first steps, Tylendel. If he's truthful he'll come to you. If not…: The words hung in his mind long after she'd said them. What if it was all just a joke he was playing on Tylendel? He steeled his mind against it. 'No, this is real.'

The following day Tylendel felt like a torn child. His heart wanted to run to Nevis, but his mind, and Gala, warned him against it. So he sat through classes, forcing back tears that threatened to slip out whenever he thought of what had happened, and trying his best to forget about it. But he had no distractions at night, when his fantasies wandered. He returned to the common room after his last class, dreading the rest of the day.
"You have a visitor, Tylendel," Mardic said, eyeing the form on the couch suspiciously. Tylendel's heart leapt to his throat seeing who it was.
"I told you there would be a next time," Nevis said sleekly, as soon as Mardic left the room. He cast a glance at Tylendel's open door, and walked inside, motioning for Tylendel to follow. He did, nervous for what would come, and for fears that Nevis would leave again, when he wanted- needed -this so desperately.
Nevis closed the door, and attacked Tylendel passionately. They tumbled onto the bed, somewhere along the way, one of them pausing to blow out the few candles. And then, there was really no say in who did what.

Tylendel awoke, his heart subdued from the night of passion he and Nevis had shared. He turned to his side, and found only empty blankets where Nevis had been.